devil'swalkingstick
Syllables
dev-il's-walk-ing-stick
Pronunciation
/ˈdɛvəlz ˈwɔkɪŋˌstɪk/
Stress
10011
Morphemes
devil, walk, stick + 's
The word 'devil's-walking-stick' is a compound noun divided into five syllables: dev-il's-walk-ing-stick. Primary stress falls on 'dev' and 'walk', with secondary stress on 'stick'. Syllable division follows vowel-consonant and compound word rules, with the possessive 's' treated as a separate syllable.
Definitions
- 1
A North American shrub (Aralia spinosa) with large compound leaves and clusters of small white flowers, followed by dark purple berries. The stems are covered in prickles.
“The forest floor was littered with fallen leaves from the devil's-walking-stick.”
“Devil's-walking-stick is known for its medicinal properties.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress on the first syllable of 'devil' and 'walking', secondary stress on 'stick'. The '0' indicates unstressed syllables.
Syllables
dev — Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.. il's — Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant cluster. Possessive marker.. walk — Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.. ing — Closed syllable, vowel followed by nasal consonant cluster.. stick — Closed syllable, consonant cluster followed by a vowel and consonant.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Consonant Division
Syllables are typically divided between vowel sounds and consonant sounds.
Compound Word Division
Compound words are divided between their constituent parts.
Possessive 's'
The possessive 's' is treated as a separate syllable.
- The possessive 's' is an edge case. The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morphemic boundaries.
Nearby Words
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